Illuminating speedometer-indicator.



J. PARKINSON. ILLUMINATING SPEEDOMEIER INDIGATOR. APPLIOATION FILLED MAR. 20, 1913.

1, 1 1 6,6 1 9. Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES 35 plNVENToR X MM y AIL/0mg),

if. PARKINSON.

ILLUMINATING SPBEDOMETER INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1913.

1.,1 16,619, Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. PARKINSON. ILLUMINATING SPEEDOMETER INDICATOR.

APBLIOATION FILED MAR. 20, 1913. 1 1 16 619 Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3v Wiknzouo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BARKINSON, 01 L08 ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ILLUMINATING: SPEEDOMETER-INDICATOB.

Specification of Lett'erslatent. Application filed March 20, 1918. Serial; No. 755,782.

Patented Nov. 10,1914.

- minating Speedometer-Indicators, of which the following is a'specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in illuminating speedometer indicators, and the object is to provide a device of this character which may be attached to an automobile or other vehicle at a point to be visible to a person in the vehicle and also to persons on the outside, and connected operatively therewith so that as the speed varies a light of a different color will be displayed.

A further object is in the construction of the device in such a manner that when a light of one color is displayed to a person outside the vehicle, a light of a similar color I vided-between the base 15 of the color screen and the partition 12 for reducing friction to will be displayed to the occupant, from which he can determine the speed at which the vehicle is moving.

A still further object is to construct the .color screen O- has vlrtually two sets of screens, an upper ringa and a lower ring b.

indicator so that during the day the speed will be indicated in numbers and at night the same numbers will be illuminated so that the operator may determine speed in this manner. Also the mileage will be indicated at speeds between those at which the various colored lights are shown.

This invention consists of certain other novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4; is a sectional View on the line 14 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the rotatable color-screen. I

The casing A is provided with a bracket 1 by which it may be attached to the dash of the vehicle or at some other convenient point. The casing A has an opening 3 in its upper end, and a cover 4 is constructed to be received over and screwed down upon the rim 5 for closing this opening. An elec-. tric bulb or other suitable lighting means is held suspended in the upper portion of the casing A. An opening 6 is formed in the front of the casing preferably in line with the point at-which the strongest light'rays are cast; from the lighting means B. A suitable lens 7 is supported in the opening and a reflecting sleeve 8 extends for a short distance, into the casing. A similar opening 9 is formedin the rear of the casing- A, pref-- erably at a point below the light center.- This opening has a. transparent covering 10 and a sleeve 11 similar to thoseiin the opening 6.

A color screen C is rotatably mounted on' a partition 12 secured about half-way up in the casing, and a speedometer or other operating means connected to be actuated by the movement of the vehicle is located beneath the partition and connected with the spindle 13 of the color screen in such a manher that it will be oscillated as the.operative means is actuated due to changes in speed in the motion of the vehicle.

Suitable thrust-bearings 14 may be proa minimum.

As shown in the, present instance, the

Each of these rings has six screens and at the line of division between the screens ray partitions 16, 16 are connected which extend from the base 15 to the full height of the color screen and project inwardly with just sufficient. clearance from the light bulb B to ;permit of therotation of the color screen. I A greater or less number of colors may be used as desired for more closely showing the green from twenty-two to twenty-five; and

: red to indicate any speed above twenty-five miles an hour which is the maximum speed permitted in most localities. The light screens of the upper ring a would then be arranged as better shown in Fig. 3, in the following manner :-screen 0 would be of white light; screen-d of yellow; e, orange; f, blue; 9, green; and h, red. In the lower ring, as shown in Fig. 4, the white glass 0' would be arranged diametrically opposite to the white glass c of the ring above, and

the yellow, orange, blue, green and red.

nected to the spindle 13 that the rotation of the color screen will be in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, and will be so gaged that when the speed is above twelve miles an hour the screen a of the upper ring will move from before the opening 6, and d will replace it, thus causing the rays from the lamp B passing through the lens 7 to be changed from white to yellow. As the s eed increases, the other light-screens wil be brought before the openin 6 in the ascending scale, and, if the spee be decreased, in the descending scale.

As the upper and lower rings a and b are connected together, it will be understood the several color screens will be correspondingly changed, and that asthe color of the light is changed through the opening 6 a like light will be displayed to the occupant of the vehicle through the opening 9.

As a means of indicating the speed during the day, a frame work 18 carried on the upper end of the cylinder 0 has a transparent screen 19 mounted therein and on this transparent screen numbers are placed to indicate the mileage as the cylinder is oscillated. An opening 20 is formed through the upper portion of the casin on the same side as the opening 9 or toward the operator and a pointer 21 is secured in this opening to point out the number indicating the speed of the vehicle.

As convenient means of causing the cylinder G to be oscillated by the movement of the vehicle, I have rovided in the casing A below the partition 12 a gear 22 connected to the spindle 13 by which the cylinder is moved. A compound gear wheel has the gears 23 and 24 formed thereon and is mounted on a spindle 25 in position to have the gear 24 in mesh with the gear 22 connected on the spindle 13. A rack bar 26 is mounted in guides 27 and 28 so that the teeth thereof are engaged-with the gear 23 and as the rack bar is moved through the guides, the compound gear 2324; will cause the gear 22 and spindle 13 to be moved and thus the cylinder will be oscillated. A

link 29 is pivotally connected at its one end to the partition and a pin 30 carried by the end of the rack bar 26 works in a slot 31 near the center of this link.

. a governor shaft 33 journaled in a bearing 34 in the bottom of the casing A. A governor 35 is connected to the shaft 33 within the casing and isof standard fo'rm'havin'g the grooved collar 36 which is moved by the centrifugal force exerted upon the governor to actuate the mechanism control.

A bell crank lever 37 is pivoted, at 38 at its bend to the casing and one end of the bell crank lever has pins 39 received .in the slot of the collar 36. A in 40 is carried by the free end of the bel crank lever and works in a slot 41 in the lower end of the link 29; thus as the speed of the flexible shaft 32 varies the bell crank lever is moved, actuating the rack bar 26 and oscillating the cylinder, G.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a luminous indicator which will display a light to both the occupant of the vehicle and a person outside the vehicle to indicate the speed at which the vehicle is moving, which will give to the operator readings in figures of the speed either in the day or at night and will give the mileage between the speeds indicated by the changes of the color of the light rays, and one which, if required by the laws of the State or locality inwhich the vehicle is operated, would tend to discourage persons who might otherwise be tempted to exceed the speed limits. Also, that when installed the device cannot readily be tampered with to inaccurately calibrate the speedometer to display the lowspeed indicating lights at high speed.

It is evident that more or less slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement .of the several parts described Without departure from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction herein set forth, but- Having fully described my invention,

a set of screens of several colors mounted in the frame between one of said openings and the light, a similar set of screens mounted in the frame for each of the remaining openings, and placed so that as the. frame is turned the rays cast through each opening will be of the same color, and'means connecting said frame with the motion-trans mitting mechanism to cause the frame to be turned to a greater or less degree as the speed of travel of the vehicle is varied and thus indicate the rate of speed.

2. A luminous indicatorconstructed tobe attached to a vehicle and operated'by the movement thereof comprising a casing rigidly connected to the vehicle, a light in the casing, said casing provided with front and rear openings so that the light will be visible to the occupant of the vehicle and to a person without the vehicle, a tubular frame within the casing around the light, a series of color screens mounted in the frame around the circumference thereof in line with the forward opening, a similar series of color screen's mounted in reverse order in the frame in line with the rear opening, and means connecting said tubular frame with the moving part of the vehicle for causing it to be turned as the vehicle is propelled to indicate the speed at which the vehicle is traveling.

3. A luminous indicator for vehicles constructed to be used in connection with a mechanism for transmitting motion from a moving part, comprising a casing, a light supported within the casing, said casing provided with a plurality of openings spaced around the circumference thereof through which the rays of light are visible, a tubular frame received within the casing around the light and a plurality of the sets of screens of different colors arranged around the circumference of the frame in such a manner that as the frame is turned the color of the rays cast through said openings is changed simultaneously, and means connecting the frame with said motiontransmitting mechanism to cause the frame to be turned to indicate the rate of travel of the vehicle.

4. A luminous indicator constructed to be used in connection with means for transmitting motion from the moving parts of a vehicle, comprising a casing, a light supported within the casing, a tubular frame received around the light and connected to be oscillated by the motion-transmitting means, upper and lower color rings carried by said frame, a plurality of divisions of va- I1011S colors composing the circumference of each ring, the divisions of the upper and lower rings being of the same color values, and similarly consecutively arranged with the exception that like colors are diametrically. opposite, a transparent screen mounted on the tubular frame and having a plurality of numbers thereon to indicate the distance, said casing having openings diametrically opposite, and one in line with each of said color rings so that as the frame isoscillatedthe color of the rays as cast through the openings is changed simultaneously, the casing provided with an opening in line with the transparent screen and a pointer located in said opening to indicate one of said numbers and designate the speed at which the vehicle is traveling.

5. A luminous indicator constructed to be used in connection with a means for transmitting motion from a moving part of a vehicle comprising a casing, a light supported within the casing, a tubular frame received around the light and connected to be oscillated by the motion transmitting means, upper and lower color rings carried by said frame, a plurality of divisions of varying colors composing the circumference of each ring, the divisions of the upper and lower rings being of the same color values, and similarly consecutively arranged with the exceptionv that like colors are diametrically opposite on the two rings, said casing aving an opening adjacent the upper ring through which the rays from the lamp will be visible to a person outside the vehicle, and as the color of the rays is changed the speed will be indicated, and provided with an opening diametrically opposite said first opening and in line with the lower ring of the color screen through which the rays of the light are visible to the occupant of the vehicle, and by the corresponding changes in the color of the rays the speed is indicated.

6. A lum'inous indicator constructed to be used in connection with a means for transmitting motion from a moving part comprising a casing, a light supported within the casing, said casing having an opening through which the rays of light arecast to be visible to a person outside the vehicle, a frame carrying a plurality of screens of different colors mounted between said li ht and opening to be actuated by the motion transmitting mechanism for changing the color of the rays cast through the opening to indicate the speed, a screen carried by the frame to be moved with it, said casing be ing provided with an opening through which the screen is visible, said screen being provided with a plurality of numbers spaced at predetermined intervals throu bout the len th of the visible portion of t e screen, an a pointer located in the opening to indicate one of said numbers, which number will designate the speed at which the moving part is traveling.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN PARKINSON. Witnesses:

S. S. Sco'r'r, W. W. Acne. 

